


Charmed, I'm sure

by EvilQueen79



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dark Emma, F/F, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-17 09:45:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4662033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilQueen79/pseuds/EvilQueen79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma charms herself so people see exactly what they want.  It makes getting her way so much easier.  Sort of a crack-ish take on Dark!Emma. Total Swan Queen.  Mentions of Hook and Hood, but I'm not very nice to them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [Charmed, I'm sure](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7714426) by [Dusty_words](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusty_words/pseuds/Dusty_words)



> A/N: I honestly have no idea what this is. I only sort of know where it’s going. I know I have other stories to work on, but this came to me when I saw the BTS pics of JMo in the white dress. And I love the idea of a bitchy Emma (really, she is an a hole). It will probably only be another chapter or 2 at most. (Or like 6, whatever)

Emma looked down and had to stifle an eye roll. 

_Fucking.  Figures._

Angelic was the only word to describe Emma’s current look.  She was in a long white dress, with big, flared out sleeves and her bright blonde hair hung around her face in loose curls.

_This asshole is a walking fucking cliché._

Hook couldn’t be more predictable if she had a fucking crystal ball.

When she took on the dark curse to save Regina’s ass, she was transported back to the Enchanted Forest.  Somehow, Storybrook followed right behind her.  **All** of Storybrook.  The residents, the buildings, the cars.  Everything.  Snow and David took up residence in the White Castle (also predictable) while the rest of the town sprawled right outside the castle walls.  As much as she really didn’t want to deal with these people, it made getting her bear claw fix from Granny’s pretty damn convenient. 

Everyone’s current mood was all, “Save Emma _.” Please._ They rely on Emma to do the saving. Well, Emma and Regina, but no one likes to admit that. Truthfully, it’s mostly Regina doing the saving and Emma getting the credit. Maybe that’s why Emma didn’t even hesitate when she took on the dark one’s energy to protect Regina. Regina has never hesitated to sacrifice herself when saving the town or Henry. Or Emma. And if anyone was going to get her out of this mess, she was 100% sure it would be Regina. Not that she particularly wanted out. The darkness gave her a tricked out, amplified (but definitely bitchier) version of herself.   She kind of liked it.

So, Emma came up with a plan to not only get everyone to lay off the saving BS for a while (seriously, she needed some time to test drive this whole darkness thing), but also persuade them to do her bidding if the need arose.  She placed a charm on herself so that when she was alone with someone, they would see the version of her they wanted her to be.  It would be their dream Emma coercing….uh, talking them into doing her dirty work.  These idiots would be deluded enough to think the darkness wouldn’t corrupt her completely and actually have a positive effect. She’d lure them in and…well, probably not kill them (probably), but build an army of mindless minions. Hook was her first target.

Thinking back on the stupid shit he said about trading his ship for her and her being his happy ending (never mind what **her** happy ending entailed) it came as no surprise that she was dressed as the quintessential damsel in distress.  It still enraged her to no end, but she knew she had a part to play.

“Killian, do you think you could take me to the castle?  I need to see Sn...my mother.” He ate that shit up as much as her parents did. “It’s such a long walk.” It’s not that long of a walk. “And I’m clearly not dressed for a long trek.” Because you are a misogynistic, medieval, douchebag who wants a frail ( _seriously, are my hips smaller?)_ helpless maiden ( _sorry about your luck there, buddy_ ) to need him.  Oh, she’ll need him alright.  Having a pirate at her beck and call would come in handy.  He claimed to be reformed, but in time, with the right persuasion, she could fix that.  The “I love you,” before she took on the darkness laid the perfect groundwork for her. _I gotta stop telling dudes I love them in these life or death situations._   It tends to make them clingy.   For right now, she needed to get to Snow.  This Merlin business needs to be redirected before he comes here and screws everything up.

Smiling down at her, he nudged her head up with a finger under her chin.  “Of course, love.”  Naturally, he wouldn’t question why the dark one was a walking embodiment of one of his wet dreams right now.  Sitting behind him on his horse, she wrapped one around him and laid her head on his shoulder _.  He is eating this shit up._   As if confirming her exceedingly low expectations of him, he squeezed her hand before grabbing the reins and taking off.  _This is too easy._

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

As she walked into the throne room, the white robe shifted into a pink poufy ball of taffeta.  Long, loose locks twisted and turned into tight curls that hung in tendrils around her head.   Her mother was un-fucking-real. 

“Emma! It’s so lovely to see you.  My, don’t you just look….breathtaking.”  Snow’s eyes shone with a glint of pride Emma had never seen before.  The anger bubbled low in her throat. Throttling her out the window now would kind of ruin the plan.  Currently, she was needed.  Emma had to convince her to at least postpone the search for Merlin.  She needed time to adjust and feel this whole thing out and hey, maybe even stay this way. So far, she couldn’t really see a downside. Maybe if she put Merlin’s visit off long enough, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.  She’d be the dark one forever.  Or at least until someone stabbed her with the dagger.  And seeing as how Regina was the only one who knew where the dagger was, Emma was confident she’d live forever. 

_Why does it always come back to Regina?_   Now there is someone who would never betray her.  After Regina’s initial freak out about Emma sacrificing herself for her, ( _How could you be so stupid?_   _You are such an idiot!_   _Why would you give up your happiness for mine?_ ) they settled into their version of a friendship.  It was stronger this time and maybe a little bit flirtier.  The darkness lowered Emma’s inhibitions a bit and she always did have an eye for the mayor.  Angry banter sounded a whole lot more like flirting these days.  Emma didn’t mind so much.  It wasn’t about control with Regina either.   Not like the handless wonder who she flirted with knowing it would benefit her.  No, Regina was fun.  Regina was a challenge.  Regina made her dark heart beat faster and time slow down all at once.  Obviously, Regina, took over the parenting duties of Henry, but Emma tried to see them whenever she could.  Henry seemed, rightfully, cautious of her at first, but now to him, it was just Emma with even less of a filter.  He knew she was capable of terrible things, but being around him and Regina seemed to tame the darkness a bit.  Truthfully, if anyone was keeping Emma from going full scale evil overlord, it was those two. 

 “Gee, uh, thanks, Mom. Listen, I was thinking, now that we are back in the Enchanted Forest and things seemed to have settled down, maybe we could throw a ball? I never got to…”

“OH! EMMA!!! Nothing would make me happier than a grand ball in the castle with my little girl! Finally, all of my hopes and dreams are starting to come true for you. Oh and you would look so stunning on Hook’s arm. Hmmm, but Hook isn’t a prince. Maybe we can find you some royalty now that we are back. I will start-“

“Mom!” She had to cut her off to shut her up. “Uh, yeah great, thanks. I was thinking we could do it in a couple of weeks?”

“But your father, the dwarves, Ruby, and a large group of the merry men are leaving on their quest to find Merlin in a few days. There is no way they’d be back in time and your father would hate me if he missed your first ball.”

“Maybe they could wait to leave until after?”

Snow reached up and gently cupped her daughter’s cheek. “Oh no, honey. They need to bring Merlin back to save you as soon as possible.”

_Condescending much?_

“But Mom, look at me. I’m fine. Really.”

“I know you think so, baby, but the darkness could be destroying you from the inside out. Best not to put this off.” She gave Emma’s cheek a little pat. _Don’t throttle her._

Emma pulled her best puppy dog face. “I just thought with it being my birthday and all…”

Snow gasped.

_Bingo_

“Oh Emma, I am so sorry, I completely forgot. Of course. Of course. You do seem to be doing rather well these days. I mean, look at you. The darkness has definitely given you better taste in clothes. I will have your father postpone the trip. We will throw you such an amazing ball, the likes of which have never been seen in any of the lands.”

_Gag me_

“Thank you, Mom!!!”

Emma wrapped Snow up in a tight embrace and then turned on her heel and rolled her eyes as she left.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Emma paced the hallway, deep in thought. Now that she was alone her newly trademarked black leather pants and long black coat were back. Her hair was once again done up in a neat bun.

_The fuck am I gonna do at a ball? I can’t dance. I have no good ulterior motive of getting everyone together. Snow will make waves with Hook if she tries to find me a date. Smooth move, Dark One. Way to think this one through._

Honestly, a ball was the only thing she could think of that would get Snow to postpone that damn Merlin quest.

Ok, first things first, she’d pay a visit to Regina to get the scoop. Emma spent a very brief time at one of these things during that whole time travel fiasco, but Regina could give her a detailed run down.

 

**Wanna grab lunch?**

_It’s 11:00_

**I’m hungry**

_You’re always hungry_

**Dark One**

_This isn’t a recent development_

**Bite me**

_You wish_

**Touché**

_Meet me at the office. I have a few things to finish up_

**Yes, your majesty**

 

Snow may be the queen of the castle, but outside the castle walls, Storybrook was basically running the same. Regina was still the mayor, though Snow really wanted a better Enchanted Forest title for the position, like duchess or some shit like that, and was still very dedicated to her job. She even wore her mayoral power suits most of the time.

Emma poofed herself right outside the door to the mayor’s office. _Hook is so desperate for me to want him; he didn’t even question my poofing abilities when I requested transportation. Moron._

She drummed her fingernails a few times against the door to signal her presence and let herself in.

Regina was typing away at the computer with her black rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She gave Emma the, “hang on a second” finger without even looking up.

The blonde sat sideways in one chairs across from Regina, legs kicked over one arm and her back draped across the other.

“Hurry up, woman, I’m staaaaaaaaaaaaarving.”

“You are a child.”

Emma grinned at the memory of bringing her lunch here and being told she ate like a child. She missed that time in her life, before the darkness. But Regina was miserable then, still on the search for the author. Although truthfully, she didn’t seem much happier now. Robin keeps doing this back and forth bullshit with her _. It’s Zelena for fucks sake. Who cares if she’s knocked up with your demon spawn? Who are you to be treating Regina fuckin Mills like an option?_ Regina deserves better. If she didn’t think Regina would be upset with her, she would have already ripped his throat out.

“Traded in your dark look already? Probably the right choice. Black has always been _my_ color. Although, I can’t believe you brought that hideous jacket back. I was hoping you were done with it once at for all.”

Emma looked down at herself to see her signature look back. Skinny jeans, brown boots, white wife beater, red jacket. Emma smirked. _Hates this jacket, my ass._

“C’mon let’s go, my treat. I need to pick your brain about something.”

Regina cocked an eyebrow in question.

Emma sighed.

“Snow’s throwing me a ball. I need to know what the hell exactly happens at these things.”

“She didn’t bother to discuss this with you first.”

“Ehhh, it was kind of my idea.”

To that, both perfectly sculpted eyebrows arched comically off her face.

“Listen, I can’t really explain, I just, ya know, need your help.”

“Miss Swan, what in pray tell, is the Dark One doing requesting a ball? What are you planning?”

“Nothing, Regina. Please, I just need you to help me.”

She wasn’t falling for it. The others did exactly as she said because they were so hopeful that what they saw before them was real, they were willing to give in to her. But not Regina. Of course not. Regina just saw Emma, exactly as she had always been. Wait. _Regina just sees me as me?!?_ This has to be some kind of trick. Everyone has expectations of her to be someone she isn’t, someone they need her to be. Why would Regina be any different?

“Hey, not to change the subject, but do you have sort of protection spell on this office or something?”

“No, why do you think I should? You’re really the only other magic user of note anymore and I trust you.”

Emma felt a bit dizzy. So what if Regina didn’t have some stupid expectations of her. It’s not like she needed to use the charm anyway. Regina was pretty reasonable when it came to helping her out if she really needed her. And she would never try to lure the brunette into doing anything dark. She’s worked way too hard on her redemption. Emma wouldn’t break that trust. She just had a hard time wrapping her brain around the fact that Regina’s version of the perfect Emma was just… well, Emma.

_Fuck. I think I love her._

“So… lunch?”

“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on, Emma. You and I both know you, of all people, would never request a formal dance to be thrown in your honor. You abhor the very idea of being paraded around in front of people you barely know, in a dress you’d never be caught dead in, while they kiss your royal ass. You have never willingly played the princess card, so you are either plotting something or the darkness has addled your brain further than we first suspected.”

If this were Hook, she could just bat her eyelashes and redirect until she got her way. It was that easy before this charm, she had to try even less now. But this charm had zero effect on Regina. She sees Emma the same as she always has, so she could cut right through the bullshit. Same as she always has.

_Fuck her and her stupid perfect eyebrows and her beautiful lip scar and whatever other truth serum bullshit that is radiating off her right now._

“It’s the only way to get Snow to call off the hunt for Merlin for a while. I’m not saying I want to be the dark one forever, but I want some more time to process this. And I want it to be my decision.”

Regina didn’t even bat an eyelash as the words came spilling out of Emma’s mouth.

“Well, you are right in that giving Snow the chance to throw a ball for you would be the only way for her to postpone the quest. She’s been foaming at the mouth to get ‘her Emma’ back. “

“You aren’t mad?”

“Emma, it’s your life. And honestly, you aren’t that different-“

“To you. I’m not that different to you.”

“That may be the case, but it’s not like you are hell bent on destroying the world or sending us all to another realm on a wild goose chase.”

“Yet”

“And maybe you don’t particularly like anyone else and can be…”

“Bitchy”

“…short with them, but maybe they have it coming for the way they treat you. Honestly, you aren’t a pet to be owned.”

_Yep, I am in fucking love with Regina Mills_.

“It’s scary how much you get me sometimes, Mills.”

Blushing slightly, Regina looked down and straightened the papers on her desk.

“So what do you need my help with?”

“I’ve never done one of these things, not really. I don’t know how to dance, what to wear.”

“So you want a stylist?”

“Well, yeah, I guess. Plus, you know, I pretty much hate everyone, so I figured we could hang out that night, too.”

“You want me to be your date?”

_Yes. More than anything in the world._

Regina looked surprised at the implication, but Emma couldn’t read if it was a good surprise or not.

“I think Snow wants to parade me around like some sort of dark debutante. I don’t think I’m supposed to have a date. At least that’s how I am going to sell it to Hook.”

At his name, Regina scowled.

“Look, I’m over it, too, but what can I do? He’s devoted himself to me like a little lost dog and he could prove to be useful someday. If I still cared at all, I would tell him to get bent, but I really don’t see any harm in stringing him along.   Shit, I flat out told him no for months and he persisted, so I don’t see how this is much different.”

“So teach you to dance, style you, and then play wingman?”

“Yeah, sounds about right. But not wingman to score. Wingman to keep everyone else the fuck away from me.”

“When is it?”

“Two weeks.”

Regina smiled a rare smile that actually reached her eyes.

“Your birthday.”

Of course she remembered. It was the anniversary of her casting the dark curse. But even Snow forgot and she pushed a baby out that day.

“Yeah, I went in for the kill. Figured she couldn’t say no to a ball on my birthday.”

“Sucker.”

Emma just smiled, “So, lunch?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Are you really going to eat all of that?”

Emma looked down at her plate.  Well, plates.  A burger and fries, a grilled cheese, and slice of pie sat in front of her.

“Yeah.  I’m starving.  And I have this crazy metabolism now, so why not?”

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

“Thanks, mom.”

Regina narrowed her eyes and sneered,  “If you ever call me your mother again, so help me Miss Swan…”

_Holy shit, the Evil Queen is so fucking hot._

“You know who I am, right?”

“How can I forget, oh Dark One, you are in that tragic outfit again.”

Once they left the mayor’s office and headed to Granny’s, Emma’s outfit shifted back to her standard dark attire. Black pants, black leather jacket, high tight bun.

“Hey, don’t judge. I have an image to uphold.”

“And yet you plan on parading around in front of the peasants dressed like a pretty, pretty princess.” Regina flashed a toothy, teasing grin.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s why I need your help. So I don’t look ridiculous.”

“I can hardly help if-“

“Don’t… say another word, Regina.”

The brunette chuckled at the save after that perfect set-up.

“Can you stop over tomorrow evening for your first dance lesson? We should get started as soon as possible if you are to be adequate enough to dance publically in two weeks without embarrassing me.”

“You?”

“Well, yes, dear, everyone will assume I taught you and I can’t have you making me look like a fool.”

Emma smirked at the set up, “Well, I can hardly help if-“

“Let it go, Miss Swan.”

“So what’s wrong with tonight?”

Regina’s smile faltered. “I may have plans.”

Emma quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I was hoping I could get together with Robin and talk. Last week he informed me that he planned on living with Zelena to raise their child and Roland. He thinks it would be the best and least confusing environment for the children. And now he isn’t returning my texts or calls.”

“That’s bullshit, Regina. Zelena is fucking crazy. The kids won’t be safe around her. “

_Not to mention he is STILL dragging your heart around._

“I know. That’s what I told him. He did this once before, because of his honor code, but then he got drunk one night and showed up at my house. We patched things up and I thought everything was ok and then he pulled this again last week.”

Emma looked up at the door when she heard the bell chime.

_Speak of the devil._

Regina froze when she saw him. Emma watched on as Robin tried his best to ignore her, finally turning and nodding once towards their table with a tight smile before heading out.

“On second thought, maybe tonight would be best,” Regina said sounding defeated.

“Perfect. See you then. I forgot there was something I needed to take care of.”

Emma stood and bolted out the door before Regina could protest.

* * *

 

Emma poofed herself right in front of Robin at the edge of the forest. She didn’t want any witnesses for this conversation.

“M-Miss Swan. You startled me. Is there s-something I c-can help you with?” Robin was always a bit intimidated by Emma. Now that she was the dark one, he was honestly scared shitless of her and tried to avoid her as much as possible. He refused to go on the quest for Merlin (He had a baby on the way!) and wasn’t thrilled some of his Merry Men had volunteered. It’s not that he wasn’t grateful for what she did for Regina, but that was her problem, not his.

“Who. The. Fuck. Do. You. Think. You. Are?” She spat at him. Each word took her a step closer to him, eyes shooting daggers as she stalked closer to her prey.

She was now dressed in loose fitting jeans, black biker boots, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. This jacket doesn’t fit nearly as nicely as her red one. _So what is this? He sees me as one the guys? One of his guys? Oh._ She grinned. _Even better. He sees me as competition._

“I’m sorry? I don’t know what…”

“Shut up and listen. That amazing woman has fought hard for her chance at happiness. She has battled and overcome inner demons you couldn’t fathom on your worst day. For some crazy reason, she let pixiedust determine who she would end up with. She fucking chose to be with you, asshole, and you treat her like trash. You speak of this code you have, but you show her no respect. You don’t fucking deserve her. But those kids do. How you could think for one second that it would be ok to raise your children around Zelena?”

“So Regina deserves a second chance, but Zelena doesn’t?” he challenged her.

Emma looked down, shook her head, and chuckled. The menacing sound gave him chills.

“I’m telling you right now, Hood, if you hurt her any more than you already have, I will rip your damn throat out.”

With that she turned to leave. Just as she was about to poof to Regina’s, she heard a faint, “Bitch” muttered behind her. A flick of her wrist sent him flying into the nearest tree and with a flash of red smoke she was gone.

* * *

 

“Relax your shoulders.”

Emma stepped away from Regina, shook out her shoulders, and rolled her neck.

“This fucking curse has me all tensed up. I feel like I can never unwind. Maybe I will have some of that wine.”

They were standing in Regina’s living room, trying to start the dance lesson, but Emma couldn’t seem to loosen up. Soft music played in the background, an unopened bottle of wine and a couple of glasses sat on the table.

“I was hoping to get some actual dancing in before we started drinking, but by all means, if it will help you calm down.”

“Alcohol usually helps. Unless it’s tequila. Tequila makes me all jumpy and sort of wild.”

Regina laughed. _I love that sound._ “Oh I remember the drunk dial I got from the Rabbit Hole after too many tequila shots. You told me you wanted to go to the beach and swim that night, remember?”

“Yeah, vaguely. Why didn’t we?”

“It was DECEMBER!”

Green eyes sparkled at the memory. “Oh yeah.”

Emma opened the bottle and poured two glasses. Regina raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in question.

“Well, I’m not drinking alone. Just in case it makes me all jumpy, I’m not swimming by myself”

Regina accepted the glass with a grin. She took a long drink, and set it back down.

“Alright, Swan, focus.” Regina stepped into her space and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. Emma quickly downed her wine and got rid of the glass. Their hands met and Emma took a small step closer.

“Like this?” Emma tentatively asked as she snaked her other hand around the brunette’s waist.

Regina looked up into piercing green eyes. How can there be a dark curse in there when all she could see is lov… genuine adoration staring right back at her. “Just like that. Now just follow the music.”

Moving in time to the music, Emma pulled Regina closer. They swayed together, cheek to cheek, getting lost in the moment. The arm Regina had around the blonde’s neck tightened, pulling them closer still. Emma’s fingers lazily stroked the small of Regina’s back. Their locked hands were pulled in close between them and Regina finally gave in and laid her head down on Emma’s shoulder. Emma could feel the soft breath hitting her neck.

Emma cleared her throat and whispered, “I’m guessing this isn’t how they dance at those fancy balls?”

Regina chuckled, the heat from her mouth whispering across her neck and sending a shock straight to Emma’s core, “I figured we’d start with the basics,” she quietly rasped.

Emma pulled back just enough to look down into Regina’s eyes. Swirling pools of deep brown gazed into hers with longing and quickly darted to her lips. Emma licked her own lips and leaned in. The air grew thick and charged.

“LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR. LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR. LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR,” Emma’s cell phone screamed out at them on high volume. They jumped apart and Emma lunged for her phone. Regina just rolled her eyes, “Nice ringtone.”

“This is just my generic ringtone. I have a special one for you,” she gave her a Cheshire cat grin with a wink and answered the call.

“Hey Killian, what’s up?” Emma almost sounded chipper. Regina took a few steps away and crossed her arms in front of her chest. What almost happened? What were they doing?

“Yeah. No. No. No, I can’t right now. No. Oh you heard? Yeah, well…. Uh huh. Um, can we talk about this later? I don’t know…. Yeah, I know,” Emma rolled her eyes in Regina’s direction. She motioned with her hand that he wouldn’t shut up. But when she spoke, she sounded genuinely….interested. Regina grabbed her glass of wine and stepped even further away from Emma, putting some more distance between them. Whatever was happening between them couldn’t be real. The dark one was clearly just screwing with everyone, including her.

“Ok. Listen, why don’t I call you tomorrow and we can get together? Ok, sounds good. You, too.” _Oh my god, she just said she loved him._ “Bye”

Emma took a couple steps towards Regina, “Now where were we?”

“You were just leaving Miss Swan. I’m tired and would like to go to bed.”

“Regina, it’s like 8 o’clock.”

“I said goodnight, Miss Swan.”

Looking across the room into her brown eyes, Emma was met with cold, dull eyes. The twinkle that was there moments before when they were dancing was gone.

“Look, I don’t know what….Listen, you know I don’t care about Hook.”

“What you do with your pirate is none of my concern. Goodnight.”

The last words were spit out with a deafening finality. Emma grabbed her red leather jacket off the couch and stormed out, slamming the front door on her way.

* * *

 

**Can we talk?**

_No_

**C’mon, please?**

_No_

**The Dark One is currently begging you**

_There is nothing to talk about_

**How about the fact that I almost kissed you**

_And then told your boyfriend you loved him_

**I already told you I don’t mean it**

_He believes it._

**You hate him, who cares?**

_…_

**Regina?**

_What?_

**Hey I started on the tequila after I left you. Wanna go swimming?** **J**

_Go to sleep, Miss Swan_

**Are we still going to try on pretty things tomorrow?**

_Yes, but maybe we should keep a little distance this time_

**Look, Regina, I…**

_What?_

**I’m sorry**

_Goodnight_

**Night**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: First of all, Thank for all for the insane response to this story. I absolutely love writing this Emma! This chapter was a little light on the bitchiness, but it was a lot of her and Regina together. And the DO gets all heart eyes around her girl. Don’t worry, plenty of bitchy Emma is coming. And I think it’s going to be longer than I originally intended.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to switch it up a bit and give you a note at the beginning. First of all, thank you for the amazing response to this story. I am having fun writing it, so to see others enjoying it gives me life. *Fair warning* this story is about to earn it's M rating. Also, I have a couple of dedications on this chapter. EV - It's the dress scene (and only the dress scene) I hope it's everything you wanted it to be. Rhys - if you ever read this, thanks for the pep talk and the offer to help. And Rhona, I hope it lives up to your impeccable smut standards.

Emma knocked at 108 Mifflin and leaned back against the pillar, keeping the flowers tucked behind her back. Once again, she is wearing all black with her hair pulled back in a bun. She temporarily removed the charm so she could try on different clothes, not that she needed it around Regina anyway.

The door opened and Regina stood in the doorway, looking hesitant.

"Miss Swan-"

"Wait, Regina just hear me out." She pulled the roses around in front of her and looked down at them. "I'm sorry I upset you yesterday. I know the darkness has kind of turned me into an asshole, but please believe I do not have any bad intentions towards you. We've kind of had a good thing going for a while and I'd like to keep it that way." She offered the roses to the brunette. "I know you are a fan of roses. And it seems like red is kind of your thing these days." It was true. Even now Regina stood before her in a red blazer. "So, I thought you might like these."

Regina visibly softened as she accepted the flowers. "Thank you. I may have…over reacted yesterday. For that I apologize. Please come in. I'll just go put these in water and then we'll get started."

Emma stepped into the foyer and waited anxiously for the mayor to return.

"Shall we?"

Emma looked up to see Regina at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her to follow.

"That's awful presumptuous of you, Madam Mayor. But if you wanted to get me to your bedroom all you had to do was ask. An elaborate scheme to get me to plan a ball so I had try on dresses for you in your bedroom is a bit over the top, even for you."

Regina rolled her eyes as she ascended the stairs. "I swear you are a teenager."

Emma grinned which only intensified when she realized the mayor was blushing.

When they walked into the bedroom, Emma saw tons of dresses hanging everywhere.

"Holy shit, Regina. Are these all yours?"

"No, after you told me what you needed, I asked around. They are mostly borrowed from people around the town. There are, however, a few from my personal collection in there."

A tea length baby blue satin dress caught Emma's eye. "I'm guessing that's not one of yours. I can't see the Evil Queen in pastels," she mocked with a teasing smile on her face.

"No, but it might not be a bad place to start for you."

Emma scrunched up her nose. "Seriously? No. No pastels. And nothing that short. I'm the damn Dark One, for gods sakes."

"Ok, well, how about this one?" She picked up a deep purple, floor length dress, "I think the color suits you."

"Now that's more like it. I'll just uh…go change in there," Emma took the dress and headed for the bathroom.

"Hey, can you zip me?" she requested as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Regina let her eyes wander over the blonde for a moment before stepping over to slide the zipper up. Her breath hitched when her finger grazed Emma's back and she felt her still. The dress had a high neck and was sleeveless, showing off perfectly toned arms. Emma turned to give her the full view of the dress.

"Impressive, Miss Swan. You clean up nice." They stared at each other for a beat too long before Emma quickly looked down to assess the outfit.

"Thanks. I just don't think this is it. It's a bit more red carpet than fairy tale ball, don't you think?"

"Are you just looking for something that will please your mother? I think there is one that Ashely brought over that looks like a giant cupcake."

She snickered, "Oh gods, she'd love that. No. I want it to be my idea of a fairy tale. So nothing with too much volume. And no pastels."

"Ok, so how about this one?" Regina quickly retrieved a green dress with ornate gold embroidery.

Emma changed and stood patiently as Regina laced her into it.

"I have to say, I'm a fan of the corset top. My boobs look great."

"If you can still talk, it's not tight enough. Hold still and I'll pull it tighter."

"Oomph! Jesus, Regina that hurts."

Regina laughed, "Good. This is retribution for all those times you were such a pain in my ass."

Emma feigned shock, "Language, Madame Mayor!"

That only caused the brunette to laugh more.

"There. Now _that_ is fairy tale ball dress."

Emma spun around to show off the opulent dress. The corset displayed her assets nicely, which Emma observed, did not go unnoticed by the mayor.

"It is a gorgeous dress, but I still don't think it's quite….me."

They spent the next hour or so going through dresses. Nothing she tried on was what Emma was looking for ("The neck is too high, let's show the girls off a little." "Are you kidding? I look like I fell out of an Anne Rice novel." "Whose dress is this? I need to have a serious conversation with them about their fabric choices."), but she was enjoying the attention from the former queen. As the changings continued, eyes and hands lingered longer and longer.

"Soooo, where is the Evil Queen collection?" She inquired, glancing around the room.

"I don't…That may not be the best idea. No one wants to be reminded of that time. I don't think it would be great PR for you to show up in one of my old outfits."

"Come on. I'm the Dark One," she whined. "I want to look the part. I mean, it _is_ part of who I am now."

Regina cocked her head and tapped a finger on her lips, "I wonder."

She walked into her closet and came back with a long, deep red jacket and a pair of black leather pants.

"I'm still not sure this is the best idea, but try this."

When Emma stepped out of the bathroom in the ensemble, Regina's gaze dropped as she slowly drank in her appearance. The front of jacket buttoned and ended at her waist, but was floor length in back. The leather pants clung to her like a second skin. The mood in the room shifted from playful flirting to heady lust. Pupils blown wide, Regina finally locked eyes with the blonde.

"You look…stunning."

The words vibrated through Emma's body. The way Regina was looking at her steadied her nerves and made her bold. Emma advanced on her with purpose.

_I am not ignoring this anymore._

When they stood right in front of each other, Regina reached up and ran her hands down Emma's arms.

"Why Miss Swan, evil is a good look on you."

"I doubt I compare," Emma whispered as she closed the space between them. Regina's eyes closed and she breathed, "Emma" just before their lips touched. It was a soft, tentative kiss at first, both waiting for the other to bolt. Once Emma realized Regina was kissing her back, she leaned in further, wrapping her arms around her waist and deepening the kiss. Regina moaned softly as one hand settled on the blonde's hip, while the other loosened her bun, so she could tangle her fingers in her hair. Lifting her slightly, Emma walked her backwards to the bed and laid her down. She crawled on top of her and ripped her shirt open. Fingers traced along her bra line, between her breasts, and down her toned abs. Regina's breathing quickened as those fingers dipped into the top of her skirt and slid around to lower the zipper. Emma quickly removed the mayor's skirt and shirt, leaving her only in her bra and underwear.

Emma has never been what she would consider aggressive in bed. It's not like she was a pillow princess, but she was far from dominant. But now with the darkness coursing through her veins and the former queen beneath her, she needed to take her. To consume her. She took a handful of Regina's hair at the back of the neck and kissed her harder. Her other hand lifting her thigh to position herself between her legs. Lips moved greedily over her neck, as Regina arched up into her.

Regina, for her part, has never let anyone else take charge. Since her days in Storybrooke, if she took anyone to bed, it was on her terms, always taking the lead. But feeling Emma on top of her, she gave herself over to be taken by the blonde.

And Emma couldn't get enough.

"Fuck, Regina," Emma purred as she ground down into her core. Regina writhed underneath her, trying to gain some friction on Emma's knee. She slid her hands between them, unbuttoning the jacket and shoving it off Emma's shoulders. The blonde kissed her neck, shoulders, clavicle, down to her breast, shoving the purple lace aside. Her tongue worked circles around a hard nipple before she gently bit down and then sucked hard. Both her hands skimmed down Regina's sides as she worked her tongue down her torso, sucking and biting greedily as she went. She repositioned herself between the mayor's thighs and ran her tongue from the inside of her knee to the crease at the top of her thigh, biting lightly at the top. Regina was panting and thrusting her hips up to meet Emma's mouth.

"Emma, please. I need you," she whispered.

"Regina, look at me."

Regina tilted her head up to look into emerald eyes.

Without breaking eye contact, Emma drug the matching lace underwear down her legs before discarding them and moving back between her legs. She leaned down and ran her tongue through the brunette's slit. Regina threw her head back and moaned loudly.

"Oh, Emma. Fuck me."

Hearing the vulgarity fall from that perfect mouth short circuited Emma's brain and she hungrily began licking and sucking at Regina's entrance. Emma wanted to devour her, but more importantly, in this moment, all she needed was to please her. To feel her come undone at her ministrations. Two fingers slid into her while her tongue circled and stroked her clit. Regina grabbed Emma's hair, thrusting into her face.

"Fuck, please, gods, Em-mma, more!"

Emma added a third finger and sucked hard on Regina's clit, groaning as the hand in her hair tightened.

Regina came with a blinding scream of Emma's name, bucking hard into Emma one last time.

Emma sat up, grinning at the panting brunette recovering below her.

"You're…wearing…too…many…clothes," she husked out between breaths.

Emma smirked, magicking her clothes away.

A single, perfect eyebrow shot up as Regina tilted her head, "You know, that would have come in handy while you were trying on dresses."

"But where's the fun in that?" she answered.

Regina grinned and crooked her finger at her, motioning for her to come closer. Emma crawled back on top and the brunette who slid a hand between them, running a finger through the dark one's dripping wet core. She hummed her approval and wrapped her lips around the breast in front of her. Two fingers slipped into Emma, the other hand finding purchase on her hips, pushing her down harder onto her. Emma's hands were on the bed, on either side of Regina's head, and she rocked back into her, fucking her hand. Blonde hair cascaded over her shoulder while waves of pleasure washed over Emma's face. Regina was awestruck at how angelic the she looked in that moment, briefly remembering that she was the dark one. She felt Emma's walls tightening around her fingers, so she quickly moved her other hand in to massage her clit. As her orgasm peaked, Emma's arms trembled and gave out, dropping her down onto Regina. The older woman's arms retreated from between them and wrapped around the blonde's waist as she peppered kisses to her face.

"Holy fuck, Regina. I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" The anger bubbling to the surface as Regina tried to push Emma off of her.

"No, no. Wait. Let me finish," she kissed the other woman a few times to calm her down. "I mean I am sorry for attacking you. I just… Once we started I just had this insatiable urge to… consume you. I didn't want to push too far, too fast."

Regina was smiling again, running fingers through long blonde hair. "I don't know what you were paying attention to, but you definitely did not push me. I wanted this, Emma. I have for a long time. I admit, I was hesitant for this to happen while you were still the dark one, seeing as how you can be…"

"A manipulative bitch."

"Well….yes. But you seem different with me. I want to believe, no I need to believe this is just us and you don't have ulterior motives behind this." The worry etched on Regina's face tore at Emma's heart.

"Regina, I swear to you, I want you, want to be with you, just you, and have no ulterior motives. Ok, so I knew not using magic to change would bring us physically closer today. Sue me for being a flirt," she leaned down and gave her a quick kiss as Regina grinned and playfully smacked her on the arm and then went back to deepen the kiss.

"What am I getting myself into, fucking the dark one?" she sighed as they broke apart.

"The best sex of your life," came the confident reply. Regina giggled and flipped them over, straddling the blonde.

"We will see about that, Miss Swan"


	4. Chapter 4

**Rubes – need to talk. Meet me in the alley next to Granny's in 5**

_Sure thing, your Darkness_

**Knock it off, smartass**

_;-)_

Considering the recent turn of events with Regina, Emma thought it best if she got Snow to back off on the suitors she was planning on inviting to the royal ball. Honestly, she didn't know what the hell that was all about anyway. How were those conversations going to go? "May I present my daughter, the princess and savior, who also happens to be the darkest being in all the lands. It's possible that she is homicidal, but she can make a mean grilled cheese." She was already going to have her hands full dealing with Hook. Also, there was also the minute detail of letting Snow White and Prince Charming know their only daughter was in love with the (former) Evil Queen. So much to do, so little time.

First things first, she'd recruit Ruby to talk to Snow. The effects of this charm would only go so far with Snow. She poofed herself into the alley and threw the charm back up. What could it hurt with Rubes?

When the leggy brunette stepped into the alley, Emma felt her clothes shift. She glanced down real quick to see what she was working with. She had to know which angle to play to persuade Ruby to get Snow to call off The Bachelorette: Dark One Edition.

_Ho. Lee. Fuck, RUBES!_

Luckily no one else could see her in this get up. Emma was still in all black, but was wearing considerably less. Her shirt (if you could call it that) wasn't much more than long, tight sleeves with a strip of material that tied in front of her chest. The shorts (again, using the term loosely) barely covered her ass. Knee high, spiked heel boots finished off the revealing outfit.

_Oh, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, you naughty wolf. What goes on in that perverted little mind of yours? Well, if the spandex fits…_

"Hey, Rubes," she purred.

Ruby stopped dead in her tracks taking in the sight of the Dark One.

"Em-Em-Emma. Wh-wh-what, what did you want me, um, need me for? Um, can I help you? I mean-"

Emma slowly sauntered towards her friend, putting an extra sway in her hips. She slowly circled her, grazing a finger nail across her shoulders.

"I need you to talk to Snow for me. She reeaallllly wants to set me up with some stuffy prince at my birthday bash. I just don't think I see a…prince…in my future, do you?" She leaned against her back, talking low in her ear letting her breath drag across her neck. "I just think I should leave my options open for now. See what kind of…..trouble I can get into on my own." Coming around to face her again, she seductively dropped her eyes to take in Ruby's figure before meeting her gaze again.

Yeah, she knew this was low. She knew this was totally unfair. But currently everything she did was a means to an end. That end was Regina. So if she had to fake seduce one of her closest friends to get her way, so be it. It's not exactly her fault the wolf sees her as a walking sex toy.

"Y-yeah," she cleared her throat, "Yeah, I can do that, Emma. I mean, it's not really Snow's place to be," she slowly raked her eyes over the blonde, "parading you around." Swallowing thickly she added, "Like a piece of meat."

Really it was almost too easy.

Emma was so engrossed in the little game she was playing with Ruby that she didn't even notice the other set of brown eyes burning a hole into the back of her head or the plume of purple smoke dissipating when she finally did turn to leave.

* * *

 

Regina was walking to Granny's to pick up dinner for her and Henry before Emma came back for her next dance lesson.

Emma.

Thanks to the blonde, Regina had a rare smile on her face and an even rarer spring in her step. They spent most of the afternoon tangled in the bed sheets after Emma played dress up. Maybe it was crazy. Maybe it was a mistake. But right now, Regina was happier than she had been in a long time. She trusted that evil idiot.

Regina heard voices in the alley next to Granny's and craned her neck to see who is was. It sounded just like…

What.

The.

Fuck.

Regina caught a glimpse of the woman she just spent a better part of the day in bed with wearing a lot less clothes than what she left her house in. She was standing way too close to the young, beautiful waitress. Invading her space, seductively. She knew that look. It was the same look she stared up at not an hour before. The hurt only registered briefly before all of her walls shot back up and the anger came pouring out. Seeing the conversation was about over, she abandoned her dinner plans and poofed back home.

* * *

 

"Hey, kid."

"Hey, ma. Come on in. Mom is just finishing the dishes. She said to wait in the living room."

Emma was practically bouncing with nervous energy. It had only been a couple hours since she had seen Regina, but all she wanted to do was wrap her up in her arms and smother her with kisses as soon as she saw her. However, the kid being here threw a wrench in the plans. They didn't really discuss when or what to tell Henry, so she figured it was a good idea to keep a lid on it for now and pretend nothing had changed between them while he was around. Why was he around? Shouldn't he be doing homework? What did he care about boring dance lessons anyway?

The clicking of heels on tile coming closer made her heart race.

This is going to be rough. She was practically buzzing in anticipation.

Regina strode into the room and breezed right by her without even looking up. With a wave of her hand the music started and she gave their son a small, tight grin.

"Henry, please get into dance position with your mother. I am going to teach you a popular waltz I learned as a girl."

"Hey," Emma took a step closer and ducked down to try catching the gaze of the brown eyes she spent a better part of the day (the last few years) lost in.

"Ready Henry?"

"Regina?" Emma blurted, a half smile on her face. This was a joke, right?

The brunette didn't even acknowledge that she heard her.

"Regina!" She yelled.

Regina huffed loudly and steeled her gaze at the blonde, crossing her arms protectively in front of her chest.

"What?" she snapped. It took every ounce of her energy not to run at Emma, pound her fists against her chest, demand answers, and completely dissolve at her feet. Queens do not dissolve.

Emma read her look and searched for an answer to the sudden shift in the brunette's demeanor. Was she regretting everything that happened between them? _Oh, gods. She thinks it was a mistake._

"Henry, go to your room," Emma's eyes never left Regina's.

Fearing World War III breaking out in the living room, Henry didn't think twice before bolting out of there. He didn't think they would actually hurt each other, but it was obvious something was brewing between them. He suspected as much ever since his mom came home from picking up dinner, empty handed and fuming.

"Now. Would you like to tell me what in the actual fuck is going on?"

"I was merely attempting to give you a dance lesson, Miss Swan."

"So what happened between leaving you this afternoon, still naked and wrapped up in the sheets because you were too jelly-legged to move, and now when you are giving me an ice treatment even Elsa would be jealous of."

"Elsa? What does she have to do with this? Or is she just another whore you keep around for kicks when you bore with the rest of us."

Emma physically startled, eyes widening in disbelief. "Excuse me? No, Regina...what? There was never anything between me and Elsa. And I don't… I would never. Where is this coming from, exactly?"

"You know what? Just go. I'm not doing this."

"What the fuck, Regina talk to me!" Three light bulbs burst and the fireplace roared to life.

Regina's eyes betrayed her and turned glassy.

She grit her teeth and spit out at the blonde, "This," motioning between the two of them, "is not happening. You were right. The darkness has made you a manipulative asshole and I fucking fell for it. I will not be made a fool of. I will not sit here and wait patiently while you fuck your way around town. It's bad enough that you insist on stringing Hook along, but now Ruby, too? And right after… after we were together. Who else is there, Emma? I know you are evil now, but I didn't realize you were a heartless bitch."

_Ruby._

_Oh fuck fuck fucking fuck on a fucking stick_.

The choice of moniker flung at her made Emma's heart drop. Whenever Regina was merely pissed at her, she reverted back to calling her "Miss Swan" to put a little distance between them. Emma would inevitably right her wrong and knock the walls back down. Her first name was only used as a term of endearment, when Regina was willing to be vulnerable with the blonde. Calling her "Emma" now meant her walls were down and she was exposed. Her heart was on her sleeve and she was letting Emma know just how bad she had fucked up. She was done.

Emma's face dropped. "No, gods, no, Regina, you don't understand. You have it all wrong. Ruby and I didn't…we aren't…Regina, I would never do that to you."

"Save it, Emma," her voice shook, but remained strong. "I saw you with her. I saw how you dressed for HER." Her words came out through clenched teeth. Angry fists were balled at her sides and the tears finally betrayed the former evil queen and began streaming down her face. "I can't do this. I won't do this. You need to leave."

Emma was openly crying, "No, please, Regina, please. I can explain. Just please talk to me."

"Get. Out."

Regina stomped out of the room, ending the conversation. Emma wanted to go after her, but knew it was no use right now.

Fuck.

She left the house and headed towards the castle.

How could she be so careless?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to all the gods that I try to write just fun, fluffy shit, but I can’t help myself. Let’s all wallow with Emma for a min, shall we? Can this idiot fix this? She is kind of an ass….


	5. Chapter 5

“Yell-o, Rubes”

“Heads up, David, your daughter is on some sort rampage through town.”

“Excuse me?”

“She’s storming down Main. Windows are shattering, street lights are popping, and car alarms are going off.   Looks like she is heading your way.”

“Is anyone hurt?  Do you think we need to call Regina in on this?”

“No, everyone is pretty much running at the sight of her.  We may need Regina for the clean-up though.”

“Shit, Ruby. I don’t know what’s gotten into Emma lately.  She seemed to be handling the darkness pretty well at first, but now I’m not so sure.  Snow isn’t concerned, but it never sat well with me that this whole ball thing was her idea.  I can’t figure out why she wanted that trip postponed.  And now all this?”   

“Yeah, something is definitely up with her.  She damn near jumped me in the alley behind Granny’s earlier.”

“She attacked you?!”

“Not that kind of ‘jump’, daddy dearest.”

“Oh.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, I’m pretty sure she just destroyed half of your castle wall.”

 “Yeah, I heard.  I’ll intercept her here and she and I are going to have a little chat.”

* * *

Emma paced in her room.

_Why wouldn’t she just listen to me?  I didn’t do anything wrong.  All I wanted was to make sure Snow wasn’t trying to hook me up with anyone at the ball while I was there with Regina.  I was doing it for us.  I just wanted it to be a real date.  Like she deserves._

_But if I would have seen her with anyone else dressed like that…_

Emma’s blood ran cold.  She squeezed her eyes shut to push the image out of her head.  Ok, so maybe Regina’s reaction was justified, but she had to make her understand it wasn’t real.  Desperation to fix her situation ground on her nerves.  Regina not even willing to hear her out was stifling.  The thought of losing her made her stomach drop and her chest constrict.  She felt like she was drowning.  Her heart hammered damn near out of her chest. 

_Fix it.  Fix it.  Fix it._

_But how?_

The door flew open behind her. 

“We need to talk.”

“Not now, Charming.” She waved him away.

“It wasn’t a request, Emma.  Sit down.”

Seeing the determined look in his eyes, Emma gave in.  Whatever this was about, she could probably smooth over pretty quickly and then possibly get some fatherly advice on the love life she had for less than a day and already managed to wreck.  He was, after all, into all that true love crap.

The sword at her side impeded her attempt at sitting.

_My sword…?_

The charm reacted with her father and she was in a regal blue and white button down jacket, tight white pants and brown lace up boots.  The sword she once carried that matched her father’s hung at her side. 

_He sees me just like him._

_I’m such a daddy’s girl._

A few days, hell a few hours ago, this would have pulled the dark, bitchy Emma to the surface to make a stabbing remark about him projecting unfair expectations on her.  But now, with her emotions in flux thanks to her tumultuous relationship with Regina, she felt a twinge of pride. 

“Dad, I-“

“No.  I’m talking now.” His tone was harsh, standing before her like she just got busted for skipping school or smoking pot.

_Great, my daddy is giving me a talking to.  Is he going to ground me, too?_

“I think your mother and I have been coddling you too much over the guilt of letting you go all those years ago and now out of fear with you being the Dark One.  But this is bullshit, Emma.”

She blinked up at him in surprise at the language. “ _Vulgar language isn’t very charming_ ,” she could hear her mother reprimand. 

“You can’t waltz through town wreaking havoc and destruction on everything and everyone you come in contact with.  And you sure as hell can’t just break through walls of people’s homes.  Especially ours.  When your mother told me about this ball, I, admittedly, wasn’t thrilled.  I’m not even sure why or even how you talked her into it.  A grand birthday ball, fit for a princess, doesn’t really seem like your thing, but she was so happy she got to do this for you, so I said fine.  I was willing to postpone the Merlin quest for the both of you.  But then Ruby calls and tells me that you not only are breaking shit all down Main Street, but that you practically molested her behind Granny’s today?  I don’t know what the hell is going on with you, but this ends now.”

_He literally just stomped his foot._

“I am leaving at dawn the morning after your birthday to find Merlin.  I love you, completely and unconditionally, Emma, but I don’t _like_ you like this.  I want my daughter, _my friend_ back.  And Henry needs his mom.  Both of you.  He just barely got Regina back.  He deserves both of you at your best.  Honestly, Regina needs you, too.  I know you sacrificed yourself for her happiness, but I’m pretty sure that includes you, too, now.   The real you. So grow the fuck up and stop acting like a petulant child.”

Emma kept her head down, letting the words sink in.  He wasn’t wrong.  The darkness in her screamed to fight back to spew some sarcastic biting remarks at his audacity and language, but the love she felt for her family and Regina suppressed the urge.  She whispered, “Ok,” to the floor.

“Ok?”  Charming was stunned, assuming this would be a much more difficult challenge.

“Ok.  You’re right.  I shouldn’t have stopped you from going in the first place.  I just… I was so sick of having all these decisions made for me.  And that I kinda liked the freedom this whole ‘Dark One’ thing afforded me.  I was testing it out and having fun.” She sighed, resigned to the truth.  “And being the biggest asshole I’ve ever encountered.”  She looked up to see the warm smile on his face.  The orphan induced fear of being a total disappointment to any type of parental figure melted away in the love she still saw in his eyes. 

_Ok.  I haven’t completely fucked this all up._

She stood up and he pulled her into a big bear hug.

“Dad…ugh, dad…Let me…ugh, can’t breathe.”

“I just didn’t expect our first real parent/child talk to go so well.”

“Yeah, uh, me neither.  But I gotta go.  I have some people I need to talk to.”

Running out of the room, she waves her hand over herself, reclaiming her black on black outfit, removing the charm, once and for all.

* * *

“Love, why are you in this horrendous get-up again?”

Emma bristled.  She had poofed down to the docks to talk to Killian.  If she was going to fix things with Regina, she needed to fix things with everyone.  No more charms, no more games.

“Listen, Hook, This," motioning between them.  "This isn’t going to work.”

“But I love you.”

"I’m sorry.  I’m just not into you.  I really never have been.  You were just so persistent and I was doing that whole ‘trying to make everyone around me happy’ thing.  I thought that meant ignoring what I wanted to please other people.  I can’t live like that.  And you’re cute and all, but I don’t need a puppy dog.  I want someone who challenges me and not just bows to my every whim.”

“But I gave up my ship for you.”

“Yeah, see, that’s the thing.  I’m not a carnival prize.  You can’t trade up for me. And I don’t owe you anything for doing that. And in whatever alternate universe out there that you did have a real chance with me, what I wear is really none of your concern.  In fact, future reference if you ever want a Mrs. Pirate, don’t put conditions on your love and don’t treat women like they are weak.”

“But you are my happy ending, Swan.”

“But you aren’t mine.”    

* * *

“So listen,” Emma started as she ran her hands over the bun that was firmly back in place.  She was now in the backroom of Granny's with a very concerned looking Ruby. “I’m, uh, sorry about earlier.  It’s a long story, but that was a total asshole move on my part, Rubes.  I needed your help with something and instead of asking, like a friend should do, I tried to manipulate you into it.  Please understand that you are my friend, Ruby.  At least I hope we still are after all this, but that’s all we can ever be.  I don't think of you like that and I’m in love with someone else.”

Ruby smirked and cocked her head to the side.  “Yeah, no, Emma that’s totally cool.  I, uh, I don’t see you like that either.”

“Ok, but, Rubes, see-“

“I mean, you are hot, Ems.  Like smokin’.  And I’m into this dark look on you.  Reminds me of the Evil Queen back in the day.  She may have been evil, but, man, the things I would have done-“

The jealously bubbled up again and Emma fought to push it back down.  “Ruby! Focus.”

“Right.  Sorry.” She grinned, not missing the wave of jealously that passed over Emma’s face.  _Interesting._   “So yeah, I think you are gorgeous, and I’m not going to lie, I think you’d be a great time, but I only want to be friends with you, too.”

“So no hard feelings?  I not only screwed things up with you, but, I, uh, I hurt someone else when they saw us.”

“Oh, shit, Ems.  Regina?”

Emma’s head snapped up, “How did you…?  I mean, what?  Wait?  How?”

“Relax, your darkness.  Your secret is safe with me, but it was kind of obvious when I just got all lusty over the Evil Queen.”

Emma’s face darkened again.

“Relax, relax.  I’m not into her like that anymore.  It wasn’t really about her, it was about the outfits.  Kind of like you now.  I actually think you guys would be good together.  So if you need my help with her to fix or clarify anything, I’m here for you.”

“Thanks, Rubes.  But I this is something I have to handle on my own.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The tides are turning. I hope to have the next chapter up by the end of the week.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I suppose this one needs a mild trigger warning for a dude being a sexually overbearing a-hole when he is drunk. Nothing really happens and it doesn’t last long, promise. The lyrics referenced are ‘Lovesong’ by The Cure. If you don’t know this song, go listen to it right now. In fact, buy a handful of Cure cd’s (yes, cd’s) and drown in 80’s emo. Start with Disintegration. Getting ready to wrap this baby up (2 more chapters, maybe?), so I wanted to say Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who is reading, favoriting, following, leaving kudos, and reviewing. Seriously, you guys, I can’t even believe how much love this fic has received.

Emma took a seat at Granny’s after her chat with Ruby and ordered a grilled cheese, chili cheese fries, mozzarella sticks, and a milkshake.  As bad as she wanted to run right over to Regina’s and beg for forgiveness, she has a pretty good feeling the mayor would refuse to see her.  Emma knows now she cut Regina deep.  Getting her back won’t be easy, but it will so be worth it.  The first course of action is to test the waters.  Pulling out her phone, she shoots off a string of texts, hoping beyond hope she gets a response, knowing she won’t.

**Regina?**

**Regina, please talk to me**

**I need to see you.  I need to explain**

**I’m not doing this over text**

**Ok, well, just know that I’m not giving up**

**And we never did finish my dance lessons**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Regina picked up her phone and scrolled through the texts.  _Oh, Emma.  I wish it were that simple._   It’s not that she didn’t want this with Emma.  Gods, she wanted it so bad.  If she were being honest with herself, she wanted it a lot longer than she had let on.  Not even the promise of a soul mate deterred her feelings for her son’s other mother, but she kept her feelings buried.   Losing Robin once had hurt.   It sort of hurts now the second time ( _or are we on our third_?), although it’s mostly a shock to her pride at this point.  But losing Emma and Henry for that year after Pan’s curse almost killed her.   And now, now after finally giving in to her heart’s desire and letting herself be with Emma and subsequently losing her in less than a day had her in her study contemplating a second bottle of cider.  Yes, she was pissed. Gods, she was so fucking pissed.  She was so angry when she thought of the way that wolf leered at her girlf… at Emma, her tumbler almost shattered in her hand.  But underneath all that anger was pain that crashed over her, wave after wave.  The walls were finally dismantled, only to have her heart was shattered within hours.  That will teach her. 

_So no, Emma, I will not be texting.  You will not be explaining.  We will not be dancing._

Another bottle of cider, it is.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Regina awoke the next morning, her stomach rolled and her head throbbed.  It felt like Emma’s damn Drowning Pool ringtone was being blasted right on top of her ear drum. 

_Emma._

__Damn._ _

The doorbell rang and it sounded like a church bell reverberating through her skull.

Not a chance in hell was she answering that door.

The doorbell continued to ring and she contemplated incinerating anyone or anything currently standing on her front porch.

_What if Henry got up early, went out and got them breakfast, and forgot his key?_

The chances of it being her son were slim, but still, she should probably answer that.  She groaned.  Every muscle in her body screamed as she peeled herself up off the couch.  “Ok, ok, I’m coming,” she called out to the offending door.  Her voice was thick and gravely.  She had a sharp word ready on her tongue for the asshole incessantly ringing her doorbell when she flung the door open, “Wha-?” The rest of the word caught in her throat.  On the porch was a vase with red roses, just like the ones Emma had given her the morning before.  She picked them up and read the card hanging off the vase.

“I’m sorry” was written simply on one side.  She flipped it over. 

 “Whenever I'm alone with you

 You make me feel like I am home again.

However far away...” was written on the other side.  The Cure.  Emma knew she was a sucker for 80’s goth rock.

Shutting the door, she turned to go back to the living room.  She stared at the words on the card, humming “Lovesong” until she got back into the living room.  When she looked up she saw dozens and dozens of roses covering every surface of the room.  Some were even hanging in midair.  As she walked through the room she flipped through cards, seeing “I’m sorry” on each one and either a memory or song lyrics (mostly 80s songs) on the backs. 

It was cute, she couldn’t lie.  And no one had gone to this much trouble for her before.  But her heart needed a lot more mending than a couple hundred roses could provide.

As much as she didn’t want to have any contact with the blonde, she knew this couldn’t go on forever.  Best to put her out of her misery now.

**While lovely, the roses were unnecessary, Miss Swan.  We are not fighting.  There simply is no ‘we’.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Over the next week Emma sent Regina food from Granny’s, left messages at her office, and even tried e-mailing her.  All she received in return was radio silence.  Even Henry had avoided her since that night at Regina’s.  He was a smart kid and overly protective of Regina.  He may not know all of the details (she hoped), but he knew Emma fucked up bad.  Emma couldn’t blame either of them for their silence, but the longer she was shut out the harder it was to fight the darkness. 

She was doing a pretty good job of keeping it at bay, but it wanted to come out and play again, bad.  Turns out, being a bitch was an outlet for it and the more she fought to suppress it, the more she felt like a pressure cooker ready to blow.

She paced, muttering to herself about hiring a sky writer when Ruby snapped her out of it. 

“Emma.  EMS!”

Emma startled, looking up, completely annoyed.  “What?”

“Think you could sit down and mutter to yourself in a booth?  You are kind of wigging out the rest of the customers.”

Emma glanced around and realized she was stomping around Granny’s, completely oblivious to the multitude of law-abiding, paying, (completely freaked out) customers.

“Sorry, Rubes,” she muttered as she slid into a booth and flipped up her coffee cup.  “I just don’t know what to do about Regina.  I can’t give up, but she shut me down so completely after I sent her the flowers and now she has completely iced me out.”

Ruby furrowed her brow in contemplation.  “Have you tried going over there and talking to her?”

“She’d fireball me on the spot.”

“Look, maybe she just doesn’t want all the bullshit, you know?  Give it a shot.” She shrugged.  “Nothing else has worked.”

“How do you think she would feel about seeing my undying love and devotion spelled out across the sky?”

Ruby’s face went blank as she stared at her friend.  The coffee she was pouring spilled over the cup onto the table.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“Bad idea?”

Ruby smacked her in the head with her order pad, “Keep it simple, stupid!  Just go to her house and talk to her.  Tell her exactly what happened and how you feel.  No cards, no flowers, no angsty Robert Smith lyrics.  Just you.”

Emma’s sunk into herself and the tough mask of the Dark One was replaced with the foster girl so long forgotten, “What if I’m not good enough?” she whispered.

Ruby leaned over to side hug her friend and give her shoulder a reassuring rub. “Oh, Ems.  You are.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The evening before the ball, Regina found herself in her study with a glass of cider…again.  It’s not that she needed to drink, but damn did it feel good to numb the pain a little.  And it still felt like her heart was in a vice.  Maybe she should just give Emma a chance and listen to her explanation.  Maybe there was a perfectly good reason she was dressed like a… like _that_ for Ruby.  Right after she left Regina in bed.  Her stomach rolled.  Knowing she was still stringing the pirate along only made it all worse.  Gods, she was such a fool.  Obviously, Emma was playing all of them.  Why did it have to hurt so badly? Then again, she did send all those flowers with notes and lots of Cure and Depeche Mode lyrics.  Damn her for knowing her guilty pleasures.   Ok, so maybe she should call her.  More cider first.  Luckily, Henry was staying at the castle with his grandparents and Emma, she assumed, so he could spend the next day in preparation for the ball.  He hadn’t mentioned his birth mother since the night of the dance lesson, but she supposed he knew something was amiss.  As much as Henry had hated her after finding out about her being the Evil Queen, he was still so protective of her.  She knows she should talk to him about staying out of her issues with Emma, but right now, the wound was still too fresh.  She took it as a good sign that he wanted to stay there and help set up for his mother’s big day.  The birthday ball for the princess.  Regina huffed into her cider and took another swig.  Her phone lit up on the table and she looked down to see a picture of Emma laughing, holding Henry in a headlock.  It was taken back in Maine, before the darkness came, before her and Emma, well, before everything changed.  She sighed and refilled her glass.  Ok, maybe she wasn’t ready.  The voicemail notification pinged and her phone rang again.  Regina watched Emma’s face light up and then darken a few times, each time with the ping of a voicemail behind it.  She really is persistent.  Regina contemplated answering if it rang again, but her door flew open and Robin came stumbling through.

“Regina!” He stumbled into the foyer, obviously drunk.  He was out of breath and was visibly shaken.

“Robin, what are you doing here?”

“I- I- came by to talk and you know, maybe make up.” He cleared his throat and tried to straighten up.  “We need to-“

Regina crossed her arms over her chest, holding her ground. “I don’t think there is anything left for us to-“

“But your fucking guard bitch shook me down.”

“My what?”

“Regina, call her off already.  I was willing to forgive that day out in the woods and now I have to deal with her here?  This is bullshit.  She has no right to harass me.  I’m your fucking soul mate.  I do not have to answer to her.”

“To…Emma?”  She cleared her throat to even her voice.  “Emma was here?” Wait, what about something in the woods? 

“Yes, Emmm-ma,” he slurred. “Who the fuck does she think she is? We are meant to be.  Pixie dust says so” He lunged at her and wrapped his arms around her.  “We belong together, Regina.”  Regina fought back, pushing against him.

“Robin, you are drunk.  You made your choice, several times I might add, and it wasn’t me.  It has never been me.  It’s too late.  So now, kindly get the fuck out of my house.  And leave Emma out of this, anything between her and I is none of your concern.”

“Shh shhh shh.  No, Regina,” he tried to cup her face in his hands, but she squirmed too hard for him to get a hold.  “Forget about her.  You know you want this.”

The Evil Queen saw red, “GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF ME!”  She didn’t feel the magic course through her body, but the next thing she knew he was flying backwards through the air.  He flew right through the open door and slammed against the pillar with a sickening thwack.  A dark figure pulled him up by the neck and held him over her head. 

“I told you if you hurt her again, I would rip your throat out.” Robin’s face turned purple as Emma squeezed harder and harder.

“Emma, no!” Regina called out to her from the doorway.

Emma glanced back over her shoulder finding Regina’s panicked eyes. 

_Shit shit shit._   She was fucking this up.  Maybe they really were back together.  She dropped Robin without sparing him a second glance and poofed away.

“Get the hell out of here, Robin.  And don’t come back.”  Regina slammed the door and retreated back to the study.  She leaned against the back of the chair while she regained her composure and tried to figure out what the hell was going on.  Her phone dinged with the reminder she had unheard voicemails.  Grabbing her phone, she rushed to her room and curled up on her bed, finally ready to hear what the blonde had to say.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

VM1:  “Hey, Regina please just listen, ok?  I really need to talk to you.  I’m outside right now, but I know you won’t answer if I knock.  So, just please come out and talk to me, so I can explain.  I promise everything that happened is not what you think.  I really don’t want to do this over voicem-“

VM2:  “I thought I’d have more time before it cut me off.  Ok, if you won’t come to the door, I will give you a quick run-down.  It’s kind of a long story.  I, uh, I cast a charm on myself so people saw me how they wanted to.  It made it easier to manipulate them.  Except for you, I mean it worked, but I never wanted to manipulate you.  Not that I could if I wanted to.  You just saw me as me.  Plain old, pre-darkness Emma.  And what you saw between Ruby and I was a complete misunderstanding.  I promise nothing happened.   I already talked to her and to Hook and let them both know I had absolutely no interest in them.  I reall-“

VM3: “Seriously, it just cuts you right off, doesn’t it?  You’d think in this day in age voicemail limits would probably be a little longer and maybe more consistent.  Heh, ok, sorry.  Listen, I don’t like what I did to anyone, but especially you and I don’t like me like this.  My dad is going to find Merlin the morning after my birthday.  So, I wanted to tell you-“

VM4: “I hate your fucking voicemail.  So I wanted to say, or rather ask you was if you’d be my- what… what are you doing here?” garbled background noise, then Robin’s voice, “She’s MINE, why can’t you-“ Emma’s voice came back, low and dark, “You’re wasted.  I swear to gods, Robin,  I told you last time, I will fucking kill you-“ more garbled background noise and what sounds like a scuffle, then Robin’s voice again, squeaking out, gasping for air, “She wants me here.   C-can you say the same?  You know she will never forgive you if you kill her soulmate.”

Then the voicemail cuts off.


	7. Chapter 7

Emma stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her stomach has been doing somersaults since last night. It wasn't likely Regina would show up tonight but if she did, it would most likely be to fireball her ass for almost killing her soul mate.

_Soul mate. What a fucking joke._

After her run-in with Robin the previous night, Emma was certain she had blown any chance she may have still had with the brunette. At least Snow agreed to call off the hunt to find her a man. Regina may have given up on her and moved on, but it would take a long time before Emma could say the same.

Four voicemails. She had left her four voicemails trying to give her side of the story, but she still didn't hear a word back. That, along with the panicked look in Regina's eyes when she damn near killed Robin, was all she needed to know. Regina was done. Whatever they had built up over the last few years and finally gave in to was destroyed. Over what? A fucking game. She was foolish enough to give into the darkness and karma bit her in the ass. Hard. While trying to patch things up with Regina over the last couple of weeks, Emma worked hard to keep the darker tendencies tamed. As difficult as it was for her, she kept the bitchiness at bay. The finality of losing Regina made her want to lash out, destroy something. Again.

 _No,_ she reminded herself. _It wasn't just for her. It was for Henry, the parents, my friends, and me. I am better than this. I can fight this._

Now here she was on the night of her birthday, staring into a mirror, ready for her first royal ball being thrown in her honor. She didn't feel much like celebrating, but knew this whole night was her doing. She asked for it. She made her bed, now she had to lie in it.

Snow walked up behind her, beaming at her daughter's reflection.

"You look beautiful."

"Really? You actually like it?" Emma spun glancing curiously at her mother. Out of everyone she knew, the attitude was the hardest to control around Snow. Her mother's incessant needling easily got under skin. "It's not really your style."

It was true. The dress Emma chose for the ball couldn't have been a sharper contrast from the pink puffball the charm put her in while in her mother's presence. It was deep navy in color with fitted long sleeves and a low neckline. The high split on the floor length gown showed off a perfectly toned thigh. It was heavily beaded and sparkled like a clear midnight sky. Her long blonde hair was in a loose braided bun at the nape of her neck.

"No, but it's yours," her mother answered.

"Look, Snow…Mom, I-"

"Don't, Emma. I know. We've been over this. I know how the darkness is affecting you," she let out a breath and took her daughter's hands. "Hopefully, with the help of Merlin, we can rid you of this for good. But I have to say, honey, you are doing a wonderful job of holding the darkness back. Whatever it is that is motivating you, hold onto it for dear life." She gave her daughter a knowing smile. After Emma came clean about the charm, Snow felt terrible about the way she was projecting her ideals on her daughter. She spent the last couple of weeks really trying to see Emma underneath the façade and understand what it was she wanted. It came as a bit of shock when she realized it was her former enemy that had stolen her daughter's heart. Something was off between them, she knew, but she knew Emma was an adult who needed to handle this herself, no matter how much she wanted to meddle. If she had to guess, it was that damn charm that caused the problem.

"No, just let me… I need to say this. I know we don't always see eye to eye and I'm not exactly the daughter you imagined. I know you are trying and I'm going to, too. Just, thank you for giving me some space. I needed it. Also, thank you for not trying to play dress up with me. I don't think I could have handled any more tulle. Oh and for not trying to pimp me out to some arrogant asshole. I think we've had enough of that around here for a while." Emma gave her mother an appreciative smile.

Snow's gut reaction was to burst into tears and yank her daughter into a smothering hug. However, she was trying to curb her overenthusiastic emotions towards her oldest child, knowing it made Emma severely uncomfortable. "Ok, enough sappy bullshit," Emma's eyebrows shot up at her mother's language and incredible restraint. Snow smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, maybe you've rubbed off on me a bit. Anyway, let's go celebrate your birthday, sweetie."

Emma choked out a small huff and turned towards the door with her mom.

_It's my birthday and she won't be here. The one person who cared enough to remember._

Images of Regina filled her mind. Memories of that incredible day together along with every heated argument, eye roll, flirtatious jab, lingering stare, and magic moment that led them there came flooding back to her. The thought of her not being here with her tonight tightened the knots in her stomach once again. Her eyes squeezed shut, pushing the tears away. "Have faith, honey," Snow sighed as she reassuringly patted her daughter's arm. "She'll come around." Emma's jaw hit the floor. "Now let's go. Time to make your entrance."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The grand ballroom's décor was dark, yet tasteful. And unbelievably restrained for being the work of Snow White. It was truly a party fit for a cursed princess.

Emma made her way almost immediately to the food table. _Man, these people can put out a spread._ Many of the dishes were traditional Enchanted Forest fare. _Thank gods they opted out of the chimera. That would have made me stabby._ To make her first birthday away from the realm she was raised in a little more tolerable, Granny stepped in and made a handful of Emma's favorites. "Sweet, mini cheeseburgers," she said to no one in particular and went to grab a plate.

"Hey, ma, wanna dance?"

She spun around to see her handsome son, almost eye to eye with her now, offering her his hand. He looked dashing and so charming in his royal best. He truly was their little prince.

_Their son. Damn it, Regina. Gotta stop thinking about her._

"I'd love to, kid."

Taking her hand, he led her to the dance floor.

"Sorry, if I step on your toes. I never did finish my dance lessons," she shrugged. "And speaking of," she paused. Her relationship with Henry had been strained, at best, since the night of the fight at Regina's. As many problems as he had with Regina in the past, Henry was so fiercely protective of her. "Hen, I need to apologize to you. I have been such an asshole. I tried not to let it out around you, but I know I got crabby a few times. But I'm trying, kid. I really am. It's hard. It's a day to day struggle trying to keep the darkness leashed and I have to actively try to not hurt anyone."

"It's ok, ma. I forgive you. I know this hasn't been easy and knowing you hurt mom hurt me, too. But I believe that you didn't mean it, whatever it was. Maybe you can talk to mom and work things out so we can hang out like a family again. I miss that"

"Yeah, kid, I miss that, too, but I wouldn't hold your breath. I hurt her pretty bad. I didn't really have the control thing down yet and I made a mistake. A big one. She deserves the best, kid, and I wasn't the one to be able to give that to her. It's my loss. Hopefully, Robin makes her happy."

"I wouldn't place any bets on that, Miss Swan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yes, I know it's a shorter chapter, but I felt it was a good cut off (I LOVE CLIFFHANGERS!). Seriously, the next section is just as long, if not longer, so I decided to split it up. I know the next part is what everyone is waiting for, so I will try to get it out soon. Part of it is already written, I just really want to make sure I do it justice. Thanks for your continued support!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ok, so you guys are not fans of cliffhangers. Good to know. Your reviews helped fuel the fire to get this chapter out so fast. Also, SwanQueen Sweater Anniversary feels!! The Swen love was truly inspiring. Glad it came in time for this fluff fest!

 

**Earlier that Morning ---**

Regina sat at the counter glancing over the menu she knew by heart.  Even the new location in the middle of the Enchanted Forest couldn’t make Granny change-up her offerings.  A coffee pot came into her peripheral vision.  “Coffee, please, Eugenia.”  Thankfully, today was Ruby’s regular rotation on the late shift.  Even after hearing Emma’s message about the Ruby incident being a mistake, she had no desire to see the woman.

“Regina.”  The anxious voice was much too young to be the Widow Lucas’s.

The mayor’s head snapped up in shock.   _Damn._

“Miss Lucas.  You aren’t usually here on Saturday mornings.” She offered a tight lipped, politician’s smile.  

“Yeah, no, uh, I got someone to switch so i could go to Emma’s party tonight.”

_Of course._  

“Just coffee please.  To go.” Regina spat icily as she slammed her menu back on the counter.

“Listen, Regina, about Emma-”

“Save it, wolf.”

“No, please hear me out, since you won’t listen to her.  It really wasn’t what you think.  I don’t feel that way about Emma.  That stupid charm-”

“Ah, yes, the charm.  So you saw her the way you wanted her.”  The Evil Queen grin spread dangerously across her face.

Ruby threw her arms up in submission, damn near spilling the coffee. “I’m a sexual person slash wolf, so sue me!!  Honestly, I’d see half this town in risqué clothing if that charm was on everyone.” She lowered her arms and proceeded to pour the mayor’s coffee.  “You’d probably be arrested if anyone saw you wearing what I sometimes imagine you in,” she mumbled.

“Excuse me?”

“Look, the point is, there never was and never will be anything between Emma and I.  It really was an honest to gods misunderstanding.  With a little bit of the Dark One being flirty, but trust me, she didn’t mean anything by it.  Regina, she is trying so hard to tame the darkness in her.  I can literally see her fighting it everyday.  And if you would just listen to her you’d know.  She wants to be good, not just for you, but for herself, and probably the rest of us, too. But really, mostly to be good enough for you. I think she was having fun, but realized it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.  She really does care about you. And if you care about her at all, you need to go to her and at least hear her out. Preferably tonight, looking drop dead gorgeous for her birthday.”

Regina stared into her coffee, noticeably NOT in a to-go cup, for a few minutes.  Her eyebrows furrowed as she took a slow sip of the hot liquid.  Ruby practically held her breath trying to get a read on the mayor.  The mayor’s silence was deafening and honestly, was starting to make the waitress a little uncomfortable.

“Regina?  What are you thinking?”

Regina looked up at the younger brunette like she was seeing her for the first time.  She met her gaze as a slow smile spread across her face.  The sorrow that was etched in her features a few moments before was gone.

“What am I going to wear?”

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**White Castle - present**

Emma whipped around to see the former Queen standing before her in all her glory.  Her long, blood red dress fit her like a glove. Her hair was in a trademark Evil Queen up do, but her make-up was far less severe than she remembered seeing it last time she ran into her at one of these things.

Regina turned to their son, "You look so handsome, my little prince.  Would you mind terribly if I cut in and danced with your mother?”

Henry beamed, “Not at all, mom.”  He turned to his birth mother and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, “Happy birthday, ma.”  He leaned in, whispering conspiratorially in her ear, “Don’t screw this up.”

Henry trotted towards the food table, leaving his mothers staring at each other.  Regina closed the distance, taking Emma in her arms, just as she did at the first dance lesson in her living room.

“I admit, I don’t have high hopes of your dancing since we never got a full lesson in.”

Emma studied her features contemplatively.  The bite and sass of the mayor were there, but her eyes sparkled with mirth.

“I am, however, not at all disappointed in your choice of dress.  I don’t recall this being one that I zipped you into. Congratulations, you managed to style yourself.  I approve, Miss Swan.”  She leaned forward slightly and grazed her lips over the blonde’s ear, “You look stunning, Emma.”

Emma was still dazed by the mere presence of the brunette.  Unable to form a coherent thought, let alone words, she let Regina sway her around the dance floor, holding her tight, like it may be the last time.  And it might very well be.  She still wasn’t sure what Regina was doing there, let alone dancing with her.  And complimenting her.

“For someone who has been chasing me down for the past two weeks, you are awfully quiet.”  Regina wanted the playful banter back.  She wanted their spark.  After listening to the voicemails, she knew she was ready to at least sit down and talk to Emma, but still had no intention of showing up at her birthday party.  Ruby’s metaphorical swift kick in the ass was all she needed to understand this needed to happen now.

“Emma, I’m so sorry,” Regina whispered into her neck.

That snapped Emma back to the present and she pulled back slightly from the brunette.

“You’re sorry?  For what? Regina, no, this is all my fault.”

“I think maybe we should talk.  Is there somewhere we can go to talk privately?”

Emma led Regina through the halls, into her room and out on to her private balcony.  The music from the grand hall rose up to meet them.

“Emma, I apologize for ignoring you.  I was just so hurt.  I was afraid if I heard you out, I would instantly forgive you, again.  You are just so damn charming -- please forgive the term.”

Emma considered all of this, but before she could process it she blurted out, “So what, it was easier to go back to Robin?”  It sounded angry in her head, but by the time it left her lips, she just sounded small and hurt, like a lost girl who had been abandoned one too many times.

“Robin?”  Regina looked genuinely shocked.  “I wouldn’t be caught dead with that asshole again, especially not after last night.  Thank you, by the way, for stepping in. Lucky for me you are a bit of a stalker.”

“But I thought…. You looked so terrified that I was going to hurt him.  I thought… I thought you wanted him now that you don’t want me.”  

Regina, once again, closed the distance between them and took one of Emma’s cheeks in her hand.

“I didn’t want you to hurt him because I know causing pain like that would fuel the darkness.  I didn’t want to see you go down a path you would struggle to come back from, just like that day with Lily.”  She playfully rolled her eyes, “Ok, I kind of hate the guy, but I don’t wish death on him.  The kids need him, if only because Zelena is the alternative.”

“So.  You aren’t back together with him?”

“No, I’m not with him.”  She draped her arms over Emma’s shoulders and offered her a smile that shone so bright, it rivaled the moonlight.

All at once, Emma’s brain caught up with everything.  

“Oh Regina, I am so sorry, for all of it.  It was stupid, I know.  That damn charm just gave me so much power.  Who knew that something so simple could manipulate people so easily?  I never meant to use it on you or hurt you. I swear, there was never anything with Ruby-”

“Emma, you’re rambling.  I know, I talked to Ruby.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t really have to.  After the multiple attempts to get me to talk to you, along with coming to my rescue, I knew.  I knew you weren’t trying to use it on me and I know there is nothing between you and Ruby.  I guess it just took me so long because I was scared.”

“Scared of me because I’m the Dark One.”

Regina raised an eyebrow and gave Emma a mocking smirk, “Please.  Do you have any idea who I am?”  Emma shook her head and laughed.  Regina’s smirk dropped and she got serious again, “No, Emma.  I was scared because talking to you and forgiving you would mean handing my heart over again.  And I honestly don’t think it can take another break.”

Emma pulled Regina in close, wrapping her arms around her waist.  “I promise, if you will have me, I will spend every minute of every day protecting your heart with every last drop of power inside me until my dying breath.  The silver lining of that stupid charm is when I realized that you just saw me as me.  No expectations other than being who I am.  In your eyes I’m not a savior, or a princess, or a love interest, or even a sex toy,” she waggled her eyebrows playfully.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Emma.  I see you as all those things, combined.  They are just part of who you are.  You are also a devoted mother, a loyal friend, a loving daughter, and a terrible cook,” she jabbed playfully.  “Each of those things is important, but no single one defines you.  So yes, in that respect, I see you as none of them, but all of them.  You’re just… well, you.”

Tears bit the back of Emma’s eyes. “It was then, in your office, I realized that I’m in love with you.  I think I have been for a long time.  You challenge me, Regina.  You make me want to be a better person.  And I think I do the same for you.  I feel like the best version of me when I am with you.”

“Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

Emma smiled at her love as the tears that had been threatening to spill finally made good on their promise.  Their lips met in a chaste kiss at first.  The intensity slowly built, until Regina swiped her tongue across Emma’s lips.  Emma immediately granted access, deepening the kiss.  All at once, the all encompassing need for Regina returned.  Last time they were together, Emma mistakenly attributed this feeling to the darkness.  But it didn’t feel dark.  It felt like a heady combination of love, lust, vulnerability, and passion.  She had a primal, almost animalistic need to ravish the beauty in her arms.  Backing Regina against the wall, her hands gripped at her shoulders, arms, and back.  Pushing herself into her, while pulling Regina in tight.  Getting their bodies closer, closer. Their kiss became so intense, Regina released a deep moan from the back of her throat.  Emma lost control.  Her lips moved to Regina’s taut neck and the brunette turned her head away, arching into Emma, to give her better access.  One of Regina’s hands grasped firmly onto the back of Emma’s neck, pressing the blonde even harder into her.  The other found it’s way into the high slit of her dress, grasping the back of her thigh, pulling her  closer still.

“Emma,” Regina gasped out between hard, labored breathes.  Another moan escaped her lips.  She might just come undone from having her neck sucked on.  

“Em” Regina pushed slightly against her shoulder.

Emma pulled back, green eyes meeting brown, searching them for a damn good reason that they stopped.

“Let’s get back to the party.  It is your birthday after all.  You are the guest of honor”

Emma whined with need.  “But...but…”

Regina placed a chaste kiss on the corner of her lover’s mouth.

“We have plenty of time for this later.”

Emma’s eyes flashed briefly with fear.  Regina took her face in both of her hands, steadying her, so they were eye to eye.

“I’m not going anywhere.  Ever again.”  With that she gave her one more, drawn out kiss.  It wasn’t full of need or lust, but of promise.  “And for the record, I never stopped wanting you.”

Emma beamed as she leaned into the touch.  She took her love’s hands into hers as she spoke, “Regina?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Would you do me the honor of being my date to my royal birthday ball?”

“Nothing would make me happier.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 2: We are about done here. I think there will just be a quick epilogue on after this. Thank you so much for the crazy response to this story. As my second multi-chapter, the response to this has been overwhelming, to say the least. (over a weird plot bunny that had no business becoming a story)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, work has been crazy. Damn real life getting in the way of ficlife

Regina sauntered across the dance floor to her partner, soft candlelight glowing in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around slender shoulders and they began to sway to the music.  "I know you haven't practiced your dancing since your birthday. Should my toes be concerned?"

Emma feigned offense. “Hey, watch the attitude, your Queenliness.  Um, hello, still the Dark One, remember?" she teased.

“Hardly.  I was there when Merlin gave his explanation, remember?” Regina teased right back, imitating Emma on her last word.

“Yeah, but still-”

"No buts. You’re undying love for me essentially snuffed out the darkness.  There is no more 'Dark One.’”  A self-satisfied smirk crossed her face.

“Hey, my name is still on that dagger.  So technically, still me. And I think this whole 'head over heels in love with you enough to defeat the Darkness' thing is starting to go to your head.”

Humming in agreement, she threaded her fingers through blonde hair.  “Maybe a little.  Not everyone can say that someone’s love for them defeated the darkest magic ever known.  I’m allowed to be a little smug."  The light in her eyes proved the feeling was reciprocated.

“Yeah, maybe a little," she mimicked right back.  "But it's not like it just went away, you know.  I worked really hard to control it, until our love overpowered it."

"I know, dear.  And you did an amazing job."  Brown eyes glittered with mirth.

"I kind of like keeping the title though.  People are afraid of the Dark One,-"

"No they're not, dear."

"-Me-who-must-not-be-named"

Regina quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head, "You put that as your contact name in your own phone, didn't you?"

"Obviously"

Regina rolled her eyes and shook her head.  "Speaking of, are you going to change my ringtone any time soon?"

"What's wrong with Cher?   _Dark Lady_ is a classic!"

"Like you said, YOU are the Dark One, maybe it should be my ringtone for you."

"No way, you can't change mine!  I love that _Just Can't Get Enough_ is your ring for me. It's cute."

"I was the Evil Queen. Nothing I do is cute."

Emma beamed at her love, "The way you kiss me is cute."

Regina was leaning up for one of those kisses when the clinking of silverware on fine crystal prompted them together.  After a sweet, chaste kiss Emma shot Ruby a playful glare. She mouthed, "Knock it off," in her general direction. A slender finger turned her head back and the brunette's lips were once again on hers. "Why should she knock it off?  Do you have a problem kissing your wife?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Swan-Mills, but she's been doing it every five minutes since the reception started."

"Pity you have to keep kissing me."

"I'd rather be doing other things." Emma waggled her eyebrows.  "That's one part of the darkness that isn't dormant.  How long do we have to stay at this thing anyway?"

"Have you considered that it's not dormant because that's not the darkness, darling? You're just insatiable.  And we should stay till the end. It is our wedding reception after all."

The DJ's voice boomed deeply over the loud speaker, sounding more like he was calling strippers to the stage than guests to the floor. "Ladies and gentlemen, Lords and Ladies, at this time the lovely newlywed couple ask that you join them on the dance floor."

Regina gave a tight smile to the other couples pairing up near them. "Where did your mother find this DJ?" She whispered through gritted teeth.

"I don't know," she shrugged.  "He's a cousin or something. I had to pick my battles with her on the wedding planning."

"He's cheesy."

"If you were so concerned about the DJ, you could have chimed in."

"Invitations, decorations, and my dress were my responsibility. Food and entertainment , and your dress were yours."

"I know, but-"

"Heeeeeeey, newlyweds, oh I just love the sound of that. My baby girl is married!!!" Snow squealed in delight as her and her husband danced up next to the brides.

"Hi Mom, Dad.  Mom, listen, thanks for all your help with everything today."

"Oh, Emma, thank you for letting me be such a big part of your special day!"  Emma smiled awkwardly at her mom.  She sometimes still felt a bit bombarded by her enthusiasm.

Charming beamed at Regina, "Would you mind if I danced with my daughter?"

"Not at all, Charming."

Emma stepped away from her wife and into her father's arms. He led her away, waltzing across the floor. Snow smiled at her family and turned to Regina, "Shall we?" She held her arms out to the other brunette and held back a giggle while her daughter-in-law stood rooted to the spot.

"You want to dance?  With me?"

"Oh, come on, Regina. We are family now. Again. Only now, it's by choice."

"I'm still kind of shocked you've been ok with all of this," Regina mused as she stepped in time with Snow.

"You know, I spent so much time while I was pregnant with her imagining what her life would be like. I had so many visions of this perfect, angelic princess and what our enviable mother/daughter relationship would entail. When I got her back, I was excited to finally get to live that life with her.  I had no idea I was pushing her away by trying to make her someone she wasn't. It took that stupid charm to make me realize what I was doing to her. To us. It was a real eye opener.  And if you are who makes her happy, then so be it. And vice versa. Happy is a good look on you, Regina."

"It still feels so foreign. Or like it's going to be snatched away from me."

"Oh, Regina. Never again."

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Charming led his daughter around the floor away from their wives. "I never thought I'd get to dance with you at your wedding."

"Yeah, well, I bet you really didn't think it'd be to your former sworn enemy."

"Yeah, no, that was definitely not in the plan. But hey, that's life. This family knows better than most that we roll with the punches. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy and I'm glad to see you are."

"Yeah, I am. Thanks, Dad. And thank you for not giving up on me."

He flashed her his trademark Charming smile. "It's what we do."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ruby tapped the mic a couple of times.  “Is this thing on?  Ok, ok, everyone, pipe down.  As Emma’s maid of honor, it’s my duty and pleasure to say a few words about my girl here and her new wifey.  I get kind of nervous talking in front of a lot people and experts suggest it helps if you picture the audience in their underwear.  I think if Emma’s little charm got around, I would probably be doing just that.”  Emma groaned and Regina just looked down, hiding her smile and shook her head.  “Oh, sorry, ladies, too soon?  Ok, no more jokes.  When Emma first came to Storybrooke, I didn’t think I’d ever see the day these two could be in the same room together, let alone getting along.  But as they worked out their differences, for Henry’s sake, I, and most likely many of you, started to notice things.  Little things at first.  It started with holding glances a little too long, invading each other’s personal space… Ok, that really started when Emma first came to town, but it got less, confrontational as time went on.  Then there was this spark, both the magical and non-magical kind.  Next thing I knew they were standing up for each other, believing in each other.  They went from being sworn enemies to dual saviors of this town.  They were partners.  Then Emma sacrificed herself for Regina's happiness and I knew then what this was.  See, I love Emma and Snow and a lot of you here, but I’m not even sure I could have given up my happiness, my life, like Emma did for Regina.  And when Regina came out, guns-a-blazing, to give Emma back the life she was willing to give up for her own, I could tell this wasn’t just a really good platonic love story.  These two may have taken their sweet time to figure it out, but I think they’ve actually been falling in love with each other for a very long time.  The kind of trust, belief, and sacrifice that they’ve made for each other is what fairy tales are made of.”  She faced Emma and Regina, with tears in her eyes. “So, my beautiful, wonderful friends.  I wish you love, joy, and peace for a long time to come.”  Ruby raised her glass and turned to the rest of the guests, “To Mrs & Mrs Swan-Mills and their happy ending.” **  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the response on this story. I write because I love it (thank you for bringing me back to my passion, Swen) and it's very rewarding to see people enjoying it. I've got a couple ideas in the works for post-Charmed life, so you have definitely not seen the last of me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! XOXOXO ~Jen


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